After visiting the Monarch Sanctuary, we were off to Morelia, the capital of Michoacan. People have lived in this area since the 7th century, but there were some important milestones along the way. In the 12th century, the Purépecha (a group of indigenous people) settled in the area. They would ultimately occupy a very large land area and establish an empire (you’ll hear more about them in a subsequent post), being dominant during the pre-Hispanic period. The Spanish arrived around 1525 but, interestingly, it was the Franciscans who moved in first to start converting the indigenous people to Catholicism. The first Spanish settlement occurred in 1541 and for several years the capital of Michoacan switched back and forth between nearby Pátzcuaro and Morelia (known as Valladolid at the time). Significant growth occurred in the 16th and 17th centuries, including the construction of an aqueduct as well as a number of very large churches and monasteries. It also became a noteworthy educational center and many intellectuals including Morelos (for which the city is named), Hidalgo, and ultimately Iturbide led the movement for Mexican independence. The reason that I bring up all this history is that most of the buildings that were part of this history still exist today! That fact was recognized in 1991 by the. city being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Since all the notable sites of the city are in its historic center, Damian took us on a walking tour to see all of these magnificent structures and to learn the history that occurred there. In fact, the layout of the historic center is more or less the original layout of the city. Most of the most significant structures were built during the 18th century, although the first church in the city was started in 1577! We started at the cathedral that is made of pink volcanic tuff. It took the place of a former church there and bisected what had been a huge plaza in the center of the city. In some respects this cathedral was making a statement — it was huge and was meant both to be atop the hierarchy of the churches in Morelia and also to show it’s superiority to a “competitor” church in the former capital of Patzcuaro. Apparently, there are relics of the former Saint Christopher housed there. Across the street from the cathedral is the Palacio del Gobierno (the government palace). It was built in 1732 as a seminary. It actually seems a bit fancy for a seminary with all of the finials and decorations on the building. From there, we headed to the original section of Morelia.
There, across from a large plaza was the Church and convent of San Franciso. It’s one of the two oldest religious buildings in Morelia and is built in the Spanish Renaissance style with a lot of Moorish influences. What was most impressive, however, was the former convent which today is a handicrafts museum and store. But this is no “straw market” type of collection. Instead it showcases the breadth and depth of arts and crafts from around the different regions of Michoacan. We could have easily spent a good portion of the day (and our money!) there, but we had to keep going.
We made a quick stop at the original Church of San Francisco, the other oldest religious building in Morelia. It was much less ornate than the later cathedral that was built. From there, we passed the home of Morelos, but passed on going into the museum which provided a depiction of his life. Instead we went to the Antiguo Palacio de Justicia (Palace of Justice). It’s actually made of two buildings that were rebuilt in 1884 and we were there during a celebration of the 200th year of its original construction. In addition to all the exhibits related to the building, the most impressive thing was the large mural called Morelos y la Justicia done by Agustin Cardenas (a student of Diego Rivera). We sat on the grand staircase for a while as Damian went through the history of the Mexican independence movement, Morelos’ role in it, and many of the popular misconceptions we have about both the “war” for independence as well as Cinco de Mayo.
Our final stop was at the Regional Museum of Michoacan. There we learned about the migrations of people from the central area of Meso America well up into what is now the US, the trade routes established there, and the ultimate retreat of these people as the northern areas returned to a desert-like state. There was an impressive collection of artifacts from pre-Hispanic cultures like the Olmecs, Mayss, and Aztecs there. By that time, we were starting to wear out, so we strolled across the Plaza de Armas to our hotel for a relaxing afternoon and evening.
As we were leaving Morelia, we passed the Aqueduct of Morelia which spans nearly 4000 feet with a total of 253 arches. It was built in the 18th century and was used to bring water to the city.
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
